New Jersey homeschoolers beware (Opinion)

Last Thursday, the NJ Senate Education Committee was scheduled to hold a hearing on Senate Bill S179, an unnecessary and intrusive measure that would force every homeschool family to submit personal information to their local school district, including the name, birth date, and grade level of each child, with no privacy protections.

New Jersey currently leads with a strong focus on educational outcomes and minimal red tape. S1796 reverses that, adding bureaucracy and risk, without improving education.

This bill would require homeschool families in New Jersey to notify their local school district annually of their intention to homeschool their children. Parents or guardians who homeschool their children would need to submit a written notification to their local school district each year, specifically by August 1st.

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The notification would need to include the birth date and grade level of each homeschooled child. The school district would be required to compile and post the number of homeschooled children on its website.

According to supporters, the bill aims to provide better transparency and record-keeping regarding homeschooled children in New Jersey. As of June 5, 2025, the bill has been placed on hold following a Senate hearing.

No word yet on the outcome of last week's hearing. Critics express concerns that the bill could lead to increased government oversight and create unnecessary burdens for homeschooling families.

They also note the potential for privacy concerns, as the bill provides no specific privacy protections for the information collected. Organizations like the New Jersey Policy Institute argue that the bill places a disproportionate burden on homeschooling families compared to those who choose private schooling. Here are some of the concerns:

• No privacy protections for your child's personal information.
• No evidence that additional red tape improves outcomes.
• No problem, this bill solves.
• Creates risk of legal entanglement for families due to paperwork technicalities.
• Makes a target of homeschooling families and individual children in a public database.

It's total governmental overreach and unnecessary. It's just another way the state seeks to have control over how we raise and educate our children. My son and his wife homeschool their girls in Florida.

No such requirements are required there. So you know, New Jersey is not alone—over a third of U.S. states require no notice to homeschool, nor should they. Homeschool kids and families used to be considered 'weird', but not anymore.

Many New Jersey families have chosen this route after seeing some of the inner workings of public school during COVID. We'll be paying attention to this latest grab for control over New Jersey families.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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